I’m well
aware that we’re supposed to be saving the planet one tree at a time. I
recycle as much as I can and use the empty backsides of scraps of paper as
shopping lists, among other things. And I think that one of the points for
e-books is that they don’t use paper. (Although it’s more important for me
personally that e-books don’t put a strain on my already overflowing
bookshelves.)
This said,
when it comes to writing, I couldn’t live without paper. I write early drafts
on notebooks where I make notes about my characters too for easy reference; I
tried word documents for the latter, but it just didn’t work for me. I use
sticky notes for the little details. And when it comes to editing, paper prints
are invaluable.
When it’s
time to go through a manuscript in its entirety, I need paper prints. I can
check misspelled words on the computer screen too, although I always miss some,
but I can fit only so many pages on the screen at once to assess the whole.
When I’m holding the concrete text in my hand, I can see what works and what
doesn’t so much better. If reshuffling of chapters is needed, I can move them
around without losing the bigger picture. And I can make notes directly on the
prints and rewrite entire chapters on them as well, before returning to my
computer.
I try to be
economical and ecological though. I can fit four pages on one sheet and still
be able to read it. And once I’m done, I can always use the empty backsides of
the prints for something else.
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